Page 45 of The Soul Never Forgets

Pascagoula,Mississippi

September 6, 1939

Crickets are chirping.Frogs are croaking. Birds are singing their songs of night.

There’s a new moon, and the night sky is pitch-black. This isn’t a happenstance. Tonight’s cover of darkness is the reason I chose to come to her now.

I haven’t seen my wife in ten weeks. It’s been a torment worse than any hell I can imagine, but it’s kept her safe. I’ll put my happiness on the shelf for as long as I must to keep her protected from those Lebeau bastards.

The back door of the cottage is unlocked, just as I instructed, when I slip into the house through the kitchen entrance. My heart is pounding against the inside of my chest as I walk down the hallway toward the bedroom.

There’s a soft yellow glow beneath the door. Good girl. She lit the candle just as I asked. My request for it is twofold. One, we don’t want the neighbors to take notice of activity in the house at this time of night. And two, I want to gaze upon my wife’s beautiful body illuminated by candlelight.

I’ve missed her so much. Damn Benjamin and Marguerite Lebeau for keeping us apart this long. They must be so damn proud of themselves.

“Gussy,” I whisper right after I tap on the bedroom door.

“Come in,” she says.

I open the door and our eyes connect.

“Frank!”

Gussy leaves the edge of the bed where she was sitting and launches herself into my arms as we meet in the middle of the room. Her mouth crashes against mine as does her body. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. My mouth devours hers, tasting her minty lips and tongue.

How have I survived the past two and a half months without this? Without her?

“Gussy! I’ve missed you so much, my love.”

“I’ve missed you too, Frank. Terribly so. I’ve been so lonely and lost without you.”

“The only thing that has kept me going is knowing that we would be together again.” And now we are. “I love you, Gussy.”

“I love you too.”

Lowering my eyes, I take a better look at the white nightgown she’s wearing. I grasp the ribbon forming a bow beneath her breasts and rub it between my thumb and index finger. It’s so soft and smooth. So delicate and feminine just like her. “What are you wearing?”

“A gift for you.”

“It’s lovely.”

“I know I shouldn’t have spent the money on it, but I wanted to look pretty for you.”

“You look beautiful, my love. I have something for you. But close your eyes first.”

I take Gussy’s hand in mine and slide her thin gold wedding band on her left ring finger. “I do. Now and forever.”

She opens her eyes and her mouth gapes. “Frank! How did you get my ring back?”

“I broke into the beach house after everyone went back to New Orleans. I got our wedding license too and put it in a safe place.”

She looks at the ring on her finger and twirls it one way and then the other. “It makes me so happy to have this back on my finger where it belongs. I’ll never take it off again.”

I hold up my hand, pointing to my wedding band. “I’m a married man for all the world to see. Everyone at the shop knows we’re married, which means everyone at the betting house knows.”

Wedding bands are a funny thing. Helen made a beeline to the boat shop to see me the minute she heard that I had one on my finger. I didn’t want her before I married Gussy. I’m not sure why she thought I would want her after. But I cleared up any confusion she might have had.

“Simon knows we’re married?”

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